Broken Ice
by presidentallosaurus
Summary: Ordinary life was satisfying, but all good things come to an end, and for EJ and Anna, life was about to change speeds.
1. Prologue

_Stolen Ice AU belongs to Aelsa. I don't own Frozen._

* * *

"Pizza's here!" Anna shouted down the hall from the front door, then took said pizza and tipped the delivery boy generously, leaving him a bit stupefied at the hundred dollar bill in hishand. Sliding the box atop the kitchen table, Anna grabbed a towel out of the hall closet as a nude EJ peeked out from the bathroom door.

"I can smell it." EJ said. "Anna, where did all the bath towels go?"

Anna presented EJ with a towel and cheeky grin. Wrapping it around wet shoulders and snuggling EJ from behind, Anna began pressing light kisses to the exposed neck of her lover, causing EJ to relax. Anna deftly patted over EJ's skin with the towel, drying her off- and getting a little handsy.

EJ turned around in their hold and pulled Anna into an embrace, towel dropping to the floor as if an afterthought. She slid her arms around Anna and dragged her fingers through copper sunset hair. "Nevermind." EJ said. "Found something warmer."

"Speaking of cheesy, our pizza is getting cold." Anna said, but made no motion to break the embrace. She ignored the dampness on her skin because the way EJ was looking at her was making her chest feel all too warm and her head all too light. When her older sister leaned down and kissed her on the corner of her mouth, she was tempted to pull EJ into her, but settled for an intimate murmur and a growling stomach. Both women paused and seperated to look down at Anna's offending flat belly.

"Go eat." Elsa said, placing her hands atop Anna's shoulderblades and squeezing her close before stepping out of the embrace. "I'll only be a moment."

"Ok, EJ."

EJ. Elsa-Jane Arrendale. Formerly Jane Doe, before she'd discovered- extracted, really- her birth name. Before she brought down an entire science facility, made possible thanks to her electric powers. Not that she was the only thing electric in their household.

Light, affectionate glances. Unbelievably happy. It was a satisfaction born of triumph over extravagant circumstances and a wonderful settling into domestic routine. Not that their lives weren't extraordinary regardless. Not that, in truth, they would ever give up entirely the thrilling sensations of lives lived on the edge of adventure and disaster, but the domestic was all the more sweeter and satisfying. The well-appreciated ordinary amidst the extraordinary of their lives. Something- someone- to come home to.

They settled down into the couch and flicked on the TV. Paper plates were exchanged with warm slices of cheese and bell peppers, and observations, jokes exchanged.

A ring of EJ's cell phone broke the spell, but she languidly flicked the poor thing off without answering. This was THEIR time. No jobs, no heists, no spontaneous adventures, no talk of business or work. They were locked together, two pieces of a puzzle that fit just so.

Most of the time.

"So." Anna said, in a tone of voice that cut EJ's hopes of another ordinary night watching movies in twain. "About this banquet tomorrow." Anna set her plate down carefully, keeping herself cool and casual as she brought up the firecracker of a subject.

"This again, Anna?"

"Yes! It's important!"

The blonde crossed her arms over her midsection, sighing. "You know as well as I do why we need to play this carefully, A."

Anna grumbled and tucked her hands under her shoulders, flopping against the couch dramatically. "I just want to take my girlfriend dancing."

EJ extended a hand and rest it on Anna's shoulder, a lotus branch of understanding and mutual frustration. "And while that sentiment makes me want to, 'kiss you senseless', it's not safe anymore." Anna relaxed and clasped the offered branch in hand, locking fingers together and bringing them to her lips to kiss and squeeze. EJ smiled and brought her other hand up to touch Anna's cheek. "You know I want to take you dancing just as much. Does it have to be in front of a crowd for it to be meaningful?"

"Well, no..." Anna admitted. "I guess I can satisfy myself with the knowledge I get all your private dances." A spark of mischief glimmered in her eyes, with a little hope that EJ would take the bait. A private dance wasn't too much to ask for, was it?

"Mm. Annother night. But for now.." EJ leaned over and gave Anna a nerve-soothing kiss on the lips. The younger girl leaned into the older and draped her hands around EJ's neck, pushing herself atop.

It was a good few minutes later when the two came up for air, and almost didn't make it that far. They settled for Anna relaxing on top of EJ's torso, cuddling as they cooled off. EJ flicked the TV's channels, absent-mindedly patting Anna's cheek until Anna rose to get some more pizza.

This is so nice, Anna thought as she began to slice up a triangle of cheese and tomato sauce. Domestic life is just so... satisfying. Peaceful, easy, awful. Even-

A sharp shriek from the living room made Anna drop her box cutter and nick a finger. Ignoring the stain of red appearing, she ran as fast as her freckled legs could take her back to the living room.

EJ was standing, one hand clasped over her mouth, the other around her stomach, distress and alarm rolling off the blonde in waves. The air felt palpably electric. The TV was flickering, but even through the static Anna could make out the news.

Fire. Orphanage. Jane's. Burning.


	2. Fire and Rain

_Stolen Ice is Aesla's AU. I don't own Frozen._

* * *

The drive was excruciating. EJ wanted to get to the scene with all possible speed, but the rain and inconvenience of public eyes forced a legal restraint on her haste. The unanswered questions filled the car, weighing down every thought, every word, the possible answers even worse. EJ was rigid with dread and frustration, and Anna knew better then to try verbal communication at the moment. Instead she rest her hand carefully upon EJ's thigh as they drove, and a thankful glance from her sister told her she'd done the right thing.

The rain was unusually hard as it pounded the streets. The burnt remains of an orphanage smoldered under soggy weights and emberlicked beams. Anna was thankful for the rain. It dispersed most of the crowd that had formed beyond the yellow lines of the no-entry zone. Everyone who remained was bundled up in raincoats, watching, murmuring. A news crew was braving the storm to broadcast.

Sirens and ambulances began to peel away from the scene. Anna found that she hated the sound. The worst- the blast- was over, and now it was time for the rain and recovery to set in. The danger was gone, and now they needed to discover what had happened. They slipped under the yellow tape to approach the scene.

The slick tightness of the raincoats felt constricting. Like it was pulling her away from something. Sensing her discomfort, EJ slid her hand in Anna's, and laced their fingers together.

 _Or maybe she's looking for comfort herself._

A stout detective noticed the two, and approached them. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to leave the area ladies, this is off-limits." Anna quickly moved to slide their interlocked hands between them and hoped the rain obscured them.

"I'm E.J. Arendale." EJ said, looking at the man with an air of aloof coolness. Not that she was trying to be haughty- that was just the impression she gave when interacting with people other than Anna. "This orphanage was mine."

"Oh! My apologies, Miss Arendale." The detective rubbed his face. "I'm Detective Gantu. It's been a hard morning for all of us. And you are?" He turned to face Anna.

"Her PA." Anna said at a clip, falling easily into a business posture and attendant attention on EJ. It wasn't a lie outright, she basically did all the duties of a PA, but that was the story they were selling when people questioned who Anna was and why she appeared so much in public around EJ. It worked, for now, not in the least because there really wasn't that much attention on EJ in the public eye as of yet. "Tell me, were there any-"

"A few of the children have been taken to the hospital but no casualties or serious injuries." Both sisters sighed in relief and EJ squeezed Anna's hand a bit roughly, eliciting a nervous but sympathetic look from the younger sister. Not in front of the public. She wanted to say, but her sisterly instincts told her that now wasn't the time for that particular argument.

"Do we know what caused the fire yet?" Anna asked, forcing herself to look somewhere other than EJ's face when she slid her hand away. The situation was difficult enough without worrying about what people would think.

"Well, we're not entirely sure." The man adjusted his coat and ran his hand over the back of his neck. "No one recalls seeing the fire begin. It looks like it started in one of the ground level bedrooms- the damage there is the worst and structural damage progresses outwards from it." He pointed towards the site, and as he did so an officer stood up and waved for him to come over. "Hold on a minute, looks like we've found something." EJ and Anna followed at a safe distance, watching the inspectors talk in low, disturbed tones. EJ turned to Anna, eyes locking, speaking silently.

 _It'll be okay, EJ. I'm here._

Detective Gantu returned, with a plastic bag in hand. "Ma'ams, do either of you recognize this?" He held out the bag and EJ took it, inspecting the object within. A golden clip, somewhat elaborate, in the shape of an elongated W atop a shield. EJ closed her eyes and muttered under her breath, eyes twitching under eyelids, fingers jerking as if she were typing.

"No." She said without hiding her frustration, and handed the bag back to the detective. It wasn't Weselton, at least.

"Damn. Well, we have the scene in hand, ma'am, you don't need to stay here in this rain. Go home and we'll contact you if we find anything." He assured them, turning away.

"I want to go see the ones in the hospital." EJ said. Anna nodded, and watched tensely as EJ took out a sleek silver earpiece and tucked it in. "Olaf. Start a search on all nearby properties. I want to know cameras, recordings, feeds, anything that could have picked up any thing around the orphanage. Compile and isolate anything you find. Start a secondary search running on emblems shaped with a W atop a shield, two inches wide, half inch tall." She pulled the earpiece out and tucked it inside a pocket, biting a lower lip.

Anna loved seeing EJ in control. Giving orders. Expecting them followed. She only wished to see it in a less tragic context.

A news team approached them as they walked back to the car. The reporter didn't even get out her first question before EJ interrupted her. "Not now, please." She said, without even looking at the reporter, walking faster. The news crew followed, the woman intent on answers.

"Miss Arendale, do you have any comments? Do you know what caused the fire?"

Sensing EJ did not intend on answering as she moved to get into the car, Anna forced herself to give a polite, professional and sympathetic grin to the reporter. "I'm sorry, this isn't a good time." That was perhaps a mistake, as the attention and cameras turned onto her immediately as she got into the car, feeling somewhat violated when the crew moved closer for a better shot of her. EJ noticed. A moment later the news crew behind the reporter pulled back in confusion.

"Waltham, we've got technical issues!" An unknown voice called out to the reporter. Anna allowed herself to enjoy the reporter's frustration as they drove away, giving a small but knowing smile to EJ, who had earned herself a kiss on the cheek shortly. 

* * *

_A/N: I'm glad to get such a positive reception. :) Thank you all for your kind words, and please leave a comment if you have the time! They make all the world to me._


End file.
